Whirlwind by David Klass

Jack Danielson saved the oceans in his previous adventure, Firestorm. This time he needs to unite his own friends Gisco and Eko with natives in the Amazon Rainforest. His girlfriend, P.J., has been kidnapped from her home and everyone blames Jack. He travels to the rainforest to seek out his girlfriend along with the mysterious future wizard, Kidah, who holds the key to saving the rainforest. In the mist of it all, Jack faces an evil man who is much more cruel than Dargon, whom he defeated to save the oceans. His name is Colonel Aranha, and he is the father of Dargon. If Jack can't find Kidah and P.J. then the whole future may be destroyed. It's up to Jack again, the son of Dann, to lead the present into a safe future.

David Klass has shown an amazing need to save the oceans in his book Firestorm. He does the same thing in its sequel, Whirlwind. The book has details about what would happen to the Earth if our rainforests ever disappeared and they make me want to protect them as much as I can. Once again, Klass kept my attention throughout the entire book. There were only a few slow spots, including the beginning. However, I expected there to be smaller events in the plot that weren't included. One thing I didn't like was that the exciting events were normally short and the more boring events were held out longer than needed. Whirlwind was a great addition to the Caretaker Trilogy, and I look forward to reading the third book in the series when it comes out. I do recommend this book overall to anyone who has Firestorm.

Rating:9

Reviewer Age:15

Reviewer City, State and Country: Carlisle, Pennsylvania United States of America

Haridama by Atsushi Suzumi

Kokuyo and Harika have been best friends since they were young. They are also Obsidians. Obsidians are the lowest of the low when it comes to wizards. They have to have a special sword in order to do magic. Together, they want to become the greatest wizards ever, but they must face some challenges. Can the power of friendship help them follow their dreams?

Haridama is a great manga (Japanese comic book) to read. The book is very well drawn and written. In some mangas that I have read, you couldn’t tell the difference between some of the characters, and you couldn’t tell who said what. With Haridama, the pictures were clean and clear, and all the characters looked different. I truly enjoyed the experience of reading this book. The plot line was ingenious, and a little bit cliche. It had a lot of things that other mangas have, such as how the characters seemed like so many others that I have read about. Atsushi Suzumi is a great mangaka (Japanese comic creator), and I would not hesitate to read anything else by her. I can’t wait to read the next book in the Haridama series!

Some swearing and magic

Reviewer Age:15

Reviewer City, State and Country: Shippensburg, Pennsylvania USA

Found by Margaret Peterson Haddix

Jonah was adopted when he was a child, but he never
minded. His parents were very open with him about it. He
and his friend were playing basketball when Jonah received
a mysterious letter without a return address. He thought
it was a prank letter. Then, he found out that Chip, his
friend, received one also. Chip asked his parents if he
was adopted as well, and they tell him he was. Now, Jonah
and Chip are out to find who is sending them the
mysterious letters. However, they discover a plot that
they must unravel before it is too late.

Margaret Peterson Haddix has written another wonderful book. It
kept me up all night; I couldnt put it down until I had
finished it! The characters were very well thought out
and each had their own distinct personality and thoughts.
The plot was engaging and mysterious. The ending was a
little abrupt. But, it made me want to read the next one
even more! I cant wait for another Haddix masterpiece in
The Missing series!

Reviewer Age:15
Reviewer City, State and Country: Shippensburg, PA USA

Physics: Why Matter Matters By Dan Green

PHYSICS: WHY MATTER MATTERS is a great way to learn about physics. This books takes all the boring, dragging parts of a physics lesson and turns them upside down. The best parts of this fun-loving book are the characters. Dan Green came up with fun cartoon illustrations to personify certain physics terms. For instance, Sound (from the Wave Gang) is a character who wears a yellow jumpsuit and has a large stereo speaker for a head. Along with each awesome doodle is a paragraph about the element. Boring? Hardly! The paragraph is written from the perspective of the doodle. X-ray (from the Light Gang) admits, "I am an electromagnetic peeping Tom." At the bottom of each page, four interesting facts are given (e.g., inventor, date of discovery, etc.), and a Glossary in the back helps define the tough terms.

I would recommend this book to anyone interested in learning about physics from a kid-friendly but not dumbed-down point of view. Even if you're a physics whiz, you'll enjoy this book just for the illustrations and text. And it's not just for kids  readers from age 12 on up to their teachers will like this book. If you're not too keen on science or if learning about physics makes you nervous, this is definitely the book for you. I think this is a great resource because the pictures are memorable, and it would be helpful to use when studying for tests.

Reviewer Age:12

Reviewer City, State and Country: Saugerties, New York USA

Demon In MY View by Amila Atwater Rhodes

Think you know about vampires? What if everything you knew
as fiction was true! In the anticipated sequel to In the
Forest of the Night, Amelia Atwater-Rhodes introduces
Jessica, a gothic human who is a descendant from an ancient
and powerful vampire. Jessica, under the name of Ash Night,
writes popular vampire novels, which are all turn out to be
true. With no inside knowledge Jessica manages to portray
all the violent and intriguing vampire/witch tales just as
they happened. This is far from ideal for the secrecy of the
vampire world. When Aubrey (remembered from In the Forest of
the Night) shows up at Jessica's school, she knows
undoubtedly that he is the charming, attractive character
from her book. Her publications have caused a stir in the
vampire world and Aubrey has come to kill her but finds he
can't. Jessica meets Carolyn Smoke, a safe witch who tries
to help her, and Fala, another vampire who is set out to
kill her. As Jessica delves further into the darkness of
vampire's bloody streets she faces understanding of her past
and great choices dictating her future.

Before reading the second book from Atwater-Rhodes I
thought I knew what I was in for but I was surely wrong.
Expecting another vamp vs. vamp novel I was pleasantly
surprised to find this novel different. I really liked that
this book was set from a teenager's point of view. I liked
the aspects of school life for Jessica and how the author
included the vampires into this setting. Amelia
Atwater-Rhodes explained in great detail the emotions
Jessica felt but could have added more description to the
surroundings to enhance visual images in your mind. In
comparison to the first book in the series I preferred Demon
in My View as I thought it had a faster pace that kept the
pages turning. This was another easy to read book that was
constantly spooky and captivating. A great read for anyone
who enjoyed reading the first book in the series.

Reviewer Age:14

Reviewer City, State and Country:
Melbourne , Victoria Australia

Boys Are Dogs

Boys are a lot like puppies; they drool, they make messes, they can be cute and annoying. Annabelle just started middle school and already she feels like she is in over her head. Elementary school is nothing compared to Birchwood Middle School. Her mom has a new boyfriend, she is living in a new house with new friends, her puppy is hard to handle and don't get her started on the boys at school! If only summer camp lasted forever! How is Annabelle ever going to survive?
I thought the book was cute and funny. The characters' personalities were amusing. Her puppy melted my heart! I think any girl going into middle school can relate and learn from Annabelle. Leslie Margolis is a creative writer; in the book she compares the boys to Annabelle's puppy. Annabelle bribed the boys with treats just like she does with Stripe her puppy.
I would give this book four stars.
Reviewer Age:14
Reviewer City, State and Country: Renton, WA USA

The Host

The Host by Stephenie Meyer is an intriguing story through the eyes of an alien, called Wanderer. Wanderer has the appearance of a beautiful glowing worm, but is unable to sustain life without a host body. Wanderer gets placed in the body of Melanie Stryder, a determined human girl who is unwilling to give up her body. At first Wanderer is fighting to erase Melanie completely, and Melanie is trying to get Wanderer to leave. But, as the story goes on Wanderer and Melanie begin to enjoy each others' company. Wanderer begins to see life through a human's eyes and starts to feel sorry for them. She even falls in love with the human race.
The Host is an exciting and interesting book. Seeing life from an alien's perspective makes you reflect on your every day senses, such as smell and touch. You never think twice about your senses, but a vivid description from something that has never been able to smell before, makes you consider at it differently. This book will toy with all your emotions; it will make you angry, sad, depressed, and eventually happy. This is a personal favorite in my library. I have read numerous books and rarely find a book this enjoyable. It is well written and has a plot that will keep your interest. In the beginning of the book you may find yourself hating the main character, Wanderer, rooting for Melanie to overcome the alien invading her; but as you continue reading you cannot help but fall in love with her as Melanie does. I would strongly suggest this book to anyone that is looking to read something new and unique. It is unlike anything I have read, causing an inner conflict that is both frustrating and enjoyable.
Reviewer Age:15
Reviewer City, State and Country: Lemoore, CA US

Visibility by Sarah Neufeld

Visibility by Sarah Neufeld tells the story of a girl struggling to understand herself and the people around her. One thing separates her from sharing this situation with her peers: on her eighteenth birthday, Natalie discovers that that she has a superpower of sorts - she can turn invisible. With her bodyguard sitting in for her absent father and her mother, Jadyn, acting invisible in more ways than one, it's no surprise that Natalie is unsure of how to deal with her new ability. After spending years in the infamous Jadyn Irving's shadow, Natalie strives to keep her talent hidden, but this proves to be more of a challenge than she expects. Caught up in a world of blackmail, deception, and absent family, Natalie must learn how to use this ability to discover truth, without endangering her own life and the lives of those around her.

As an illustrated novel, Sarah Neufeld's Visibility falls in between graphic novels and common novels. Less intimidating than a graphic novel, it has the potential to introduce otherwise cautious readers to the genre. As someone who is always trying to convince her friends to try out a graphic novel, I am thankful to find a book I know they won't regret reading. Furthermore, Meister's illustrations are extraordinary, adding to the vividness of the plot without distracting from the text.

Neufeld skillfully merges the power of invisibility into her work of fiction so that Visibility remains accessible to readers of all genres, not just fantasy. Told from Natalie's perspective, the reader feels her panic at being caught by her bodyguard after sneaking out and even experiences invisibility with her. While Visibility won't take long to read thanks to the fast-paced plot and frequent illustrations, it will leave the reader with a first-rate impression of illustrated novels that will linger for days to come.

Reviewer Age:19

Reviewer City, State and Country: Farmington, CT USA

Kamichama Karin Chu

Karin Hanazono is your normal girl until she receives a ring that can turn her into a goddess. A young boy named Suzune comes from the future asking for her help. Karin and the boy she is in love with, Kazune, must find the three noble gods to help Suzune. Although a mysterious girl tries to interfer with Karin finding the last god, they still pull through. Unfortunately, Kazune and Karin's friend, Himeka, are departing for England leaving Karin behind. Now, Karin has to wait for Kazune's return while having to take care of Suzune.

In Kamichama Karin Chu the main characters sometimes seemed a bit over-dramatic, but overall, despite the odd situation, the reader could relate to them. Kamichama Karin Chu is the sequel to Kamichama Karin, so without reading the first book in the series, this book could become a bit confusing. The characters all had wonderful designs, and provided a contrast to each other with their distinct personalities. Not everything is entirely explained, but that is to be expected, as more secrets will be revealed in the next volume. The majority of this book maintains a cheerful tone with quite a bit of comedy. Kamichama Karin Chu is a comic book from Japan, so anyone who hasn't read one before will find it an interesting experience. Anyone who likes magic and romance would enjoy this book.

Suggestive themes

Reviewer Age:15

Reviewer City, State and Country: Colleyville, Texas United States

The Truth by Dr. Barbara Becker Holstein

Every girl knows it can be tough to communicate with Mom, especially during adolescence. The times when a girl needs motherly advise the very most are often the times that communication seems impossible! Dr. Barbara Becker Holstein's book, The Truth: I'm a girl, I'm smart and I know everything, tackles the delicate issues behind mother-daughter relations. This simple narrative is written as a young girl's diary, and is followed by a set of questions that inspire reflection on the book. In her introduction, Dr. Holstein expresses her wish for mothers and daughters to read the book together. As a psychologist, the intention of her book is to help mothers and girls recognize that what we know growing up is just as important as what we learn later in life. This straightforward story can do just that.

This book is not for everyone. Younger girls, ages 9 to 11, will enjoy The Truth for its relevance to their lives, though more mature readers would most likely tire of the juvenile writing style. Each journal entry is very brief and to the point, and there is very little characterization or detail. Though I would not recommend this book somebody looking for a good read, I think it could be a fundamental method of obtaining that communication with Mom that every girl desires.

Reviewer Age:15

Reviewer City, State and Country: Tipp City, OH USA

Rating: 6

Content Rating: 1